As the last out of the MPSA Class A championship series drifted into the air Thursday, Reed Gordon started celebrating.

The big junior pitcher threw his glove into the air, let out a loud scream and braced for the onslaught he and his Porters Chapel teammates had been waiting a lifetime for. His catcher got there first and tackled him. Then another, and another, and another joined the scrum until it was a full-fledged dogpile.

For Gordon, it was a wonderful and strange feeling. No one had hit him that hard in a month.

Gordon went 4-0 in his last five starts, including his last in the regular season, to help PCA win its third Class A championship since 2003. Gordon had a 1.52 ERA and allowed just 12 hits in that span, turning into the reliable No. 2 starter the Eagles had lacked all season.

“For the last four weeks, Reed has been phenomenal. The way he was able to step into the No. 2 role for us allowed us to be state champions,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. “He started throwing strikes. He found his release point and the strike zone, and that’s what it was all about.”

Gordon had been in PCA’s pitching mix for the past two seasons, but showed little sign of becoming a dominant pitcher. He was 1-1 last season with an ERA of 6.50. He had similar numbers for most of this season, going just 2-1 with an ERA near 4.00 in only 16 innings before his last regular-season start against Rebul.

Then, a quick tutorial in the bullpen from assistant coach Chris Busby turned things around. Busby corrected a few minor mechanical problems with his delivery and showed him how to throw a better curveball.

Gordon absorbed the lessons, went to the mound and allowed one hit and one walk in four scoreless innings as PCA won 12-0 to wrap up second place in District 5-A.

“It started with Chris Busby. He showed me technique and how to throw strikes,” Gordon said.

As the playoffs began, Gordon became the Eagles’ closer as far as series were concerned. He allowed one earned run in 4 2/3 innings in a series-clinching rout of Glenbrook in the first round. In the second round, he kept the Eagles close against Franklin. Although he got a no-decision, his five innings of two-hit ball gave them a chance to rally late for the win in Game 2.

Gordon threw his first seven-inning complete game in the clincher of the South State finals against University Christian, allowing two runs and five hits. But he saved his best performance for last.

In the title-clinching win over Bayou Academy, he needed only 75 pitches to hold the two-time defending champs to two hits, one walk and one unearned run in seven innings.

Gordon’s emergence not only allowed the Eagles to celebrate a championship in 2009, but has them thinking about a repeat in 2010. If Gordon can have another good year, he and returning ace Montana McDaniel (11-1, 113 strikeouts in 2009) will combine for a formidable one-two punch next season.

“Reed came out and blew it up people’s rears. He just kept mowing people down,” PCA catcher Josh Hill said. “Last year he threw sidearm. He was throwing decent at the beginning of the year and then he had a hamstring problem. He got better right at the end of the season.”

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com